Bhadra International is poised to emerge as the largest privately owned Ground Handling service provider in India. Bhadra International has already been accorded the security clearance by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for all the seven Airports.

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Plea against AAI contract to Bhadra International thrown out

A division bench of the Madras High Court dismissed two public interest
litigation (PIL) petitions seeking quashing of contract given by the Airports
Authority of India (AAI) to Bhadra International (India) Limited
of New Delhi, a joint venture consortium partner along with Novia International
Consulting APS of Denmark, for providing ground handling services at the
airports at Chennai and Kolkatta.

The bench comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice Aruna Jagadeesan
upheld the contract, while dismissing the PILs from Oveyam Ranjan of West
Shenoy Nagar and Indian Airports Ground Handling Agents Association, on March
11. The petitions sought to quash the order dated September 9, 2009 of the AAI
awarding the contract to Bhadra International. Petitioners contended that the
eligibility conditions of the tender were tailor-made to suit Bhadra.

Rejecting the contention, the bench noted that the Federation of Indian Airlines
and others comprising airline carriers had filed a similar petition before the
High Court in New Delhi. Having found the weakness in the case before the Delhi
High Court, the interested persons had prompted the petitioners to file the
present PILs at the 11th hour stating that no other PIL had been filed in any
other High Court on the same issue. The Delhi High Court had dismissed that
petition.
It was clear that the PILs were filed at the behes
t of some interested
persons. The bona fides of the petitioners were at stake. With material
available on record, the bench said it had no doubt or hesitation to hold that
the petitioners had resorted to this prompted and personal interest litigations
at the behest of persons trying to create obstacles for the successful bidder
to commence its operations.

About Me

Bhadra International is poised to emerge as the largest privately owned Ground Handling service provider in India. Bhadra International has already been accorded the security clearance by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) for all the seven Airports.